Thanking the Bolingbrook Report, a letter from a resident

Ten years ago I moved to Bolingbrook.  I moved here because the prices of homes were affordable and so were the taxes.  At that time, I was recently married and wanting to start a life with my spouse.  We did not have children.  As I look back to those easy years, I wish we would have had the Bolingbrook Report back then. 

Over the span of 10 years, I have grown with Bolingbrook.  My career, education, and family has grown.  I am in my mid 30's and finally taking a look around me to decide if I have made the right decisions up until now in life.

I think the best things about getting married and having a family include decisions that are never regretted.  Educational goals are never regretted.  However, the only regret I have is buying my home in Bolingbrook.

Back then my house was worth $250K.  Now it is worth $160K.  I am under water, as most residents.  Therefore, the banks will not refinance me, I cannot sell the house, and I am stuck until I either pay it off or declare bankruptcy/ foreclosure.  When I look at how great my credit is and how hard I have worked towards keeping it good, I don't want to declare anything just to get out of a home that is not worth it.

I started Googling for help on the Internet.  I am sure there are many people like me in this Village.  While Googling, I found your site.  I saw where the taxes are going and what kind of spending the elected officials are authorizing.  I was in shock.

How could it be that in a bad economy, where (maybe half?) of the residents are in my position, could the Mayor and Trustees take out more debt and push that burden on to us?  We are already trying to decide what to do with our home costs.

I looked at the increases in my tax bills from ten years to now, and compared them with other communities.  Your writers had it right, there has been huge increases, yet our services have decreased.  This did not seem right.  Government is about supplying services! 

I started talking to neighbors and found many of them in the same situation.  They feel that we are being over regulated and under serviced.  For example if they pass 3 new ordinances bi-weekly, that is approx. 75 per year, times how many years in office!  How can they even uphold that without intensive labor?  residents don't know what is a law or not a law to live here.  They don't feel that when they call the police, that anything gets accomplished.  Residents are just not happy.

My spouse and I are not happy.  We have found this web site to be a relief, since it mirrors many of our own opinions.  We feel it is about time that the elected officials listen or get out. they do not appear to be in this century, catering to anyone under the age of 50.  Is this because younger people do not vote as much? 

I might be guilty of that.  I do not always vote, but that is because my life is too hectic to remember.  I won't make that mistake again.  I think people my age are waking up and I think there is a new round of voters coming into Bolingbrook.   I call myself a Republican, but I don't see eye to eye with any of the spending going on in this Village.  Does this make them NOT Republican?  It is time for people to speak up. 

The local Republican Committee needs to get involved and replace the dinosaurs.  Let it be known that politicians are there to SERVICE people, not personal wallets.  Otherwise, they give the local party a black eye.  They lose people like me who would have been willing to join the cause.  I won't associate with parties that support these criminals with attitudes.

The sticking point for me this past year was seeing how the local officials (Village and School Board) treated the residents that had good ideas and strong values.  They dismiss them, ignore them, and call them names like child bullies.  They don't listen to the residents and don't care. 

It is why I thank the Bolingbrook Watchdog group and Bolingbrook Report for giving the residents an avenue to be heard and find others that agree with changes needed in Bolingbrook.  Through this avenue, we can bond together as a Village, be heard, and move forward to making a change for our children and our futures. 

Let this be a lesson in civility to the elected officials.  If I was your parent, I would have spanked you a long time ago. 

Finally, I want to say that I think the Republican political group in Bolingbrook running the show needs to come down to the people and see the damage you have caused.  When the housing dropped, that was an issue you did not cause.  Racking up debt, reducing services, and not listening to the people that live here ---  that was all you.